6 Venues Where Creative Cocktails Rule the Bar

They might look right at the top of a glass, but a tiny paper umbrella and a twist of orange peel do not a cocktail make!

These days clever mixologists all around the country strive to perfect the ideal cocktail recipe to tempt your tastebuds – think smoky concoctions, unusual ingredients and weird garnishes that combine to make a tantalising tipple.

Here are six venues where creative cocktails rule the bar:

Beginning life as the ‘sassy little sister’ of Motel Mezza, there is nothing little about Little Miss Mezza on Brisbane Water Drive in West Gosford. Take time out from retail therapy at West Gosford Shopping Village to refuel and recharge at this Middle Eastern restaurant with a Mod Oz twist, where a stylish interior vibe of flower petal lights, pastel colours and intimate tables await discerning diners.

 

From the intricately planned and designed menu to provocative and experimental cocktails, there is something here to tempt all palates; pair an elderflower sour cocktail with plates such as seared scallops, spiced carrot purée, za’atar butter and dukkah.

Good times are better shared at Sydney’s new home of waterfront Mexican dining, Tequila Daisy on Barangaroo Avenue in Barangaroo. Bright, bustling and ready for fun join friends on the outdoor terrace overlooking the waterfront and sip a chilled glass of white wine; or head indoors where a tiled bar promises cheeky cocktails and potted cacti set the scene for a food fiesta to come.

Say arriba to a signature cucumber and jalapeño Margarita made with Don Julio Blanco, or the Tequila Daisy with Patron Silver, triple sec, lime, soda and tiki bitter, ideally paired with plates like lamb barbacoa, chilli, lime crème fraiche and fresh corn tortillas.

Fine without the fuss…that’s Sixty Smith restaurant and bar in Collingwood. Join the lively buzz of conversation at this trendy Smith Street venue and make yourself at home in plush surrounds of blue velvet chairs, gilded mirrors, bar stools and potted greenery, setting the scene for relaxed drinking and dining with family and friends.

 

Pull up a seat at the bar and be entertained by the friendly bartenders before starting your adventure with one of the signature cocktails, such as tequila, watermelon sherbet, Sixty’s Green Kiwi Liqueur, green Chartreuse, lime and soda.

Save yourself the airfare and head to Portman Street in Oakleigh to discover a slice of the Greek Islands at Mykonos Taverna. Take a seat in the renovated dining area and be convinced you are shoreside to the Mediterranean, overlooking a life-sized mural adorned with soft, whimsical fabrics, seashell pendent lights, stone flooring and relaxed seating, while aqua tones evoke visions of the ocean.

 

Mykonos has created a menu just as visionary as the landscape, offering traditional Greek beer and wine alongside cocktails like a Mojito with Bacardi rum, sugar syrup, lime mint and soda, or the Mykonos Spritz with Skinos Mastiha, vermouth, blood orange soda and orange.

Mouth-watering Southeast Asian flavours collide with a Modern Australian twist at Dana Eating House on Murray Street in Hobart's CBD. This restaurant is a fresh and innovative place to eat, drink and share in a unique socially-minded dining experience; over a rotational period, Dana partners with local or global charities to donate a percentage of profits to these causes.

 

Eat good, drink good and do good in a relaxed vibe of climbing vines and dark wood table settings, while sipping a Woo Gal cocktail – Arette tequila, lychee liqueur, elderflower liqueur, lychee and rhubarb syrup and lemon.

With a modern take on old-world methods, Somedays Pizza on Sunshine Beach Road in Noosa Heads brings together an offering focusing on quality, sustainability and organic farming practices. The clean menu is not only good for you, but it will have you coming back for more, enjoyed in rustic surrounds of whitewashed brick, a roaring wood-fired pizza oven and balmy alfresco dining.

 

Perhaps pair a Someday’s Negroni of Malfi dry gin, Giardino Rosso vermouth, Campari and orange with plates like pizza specials of Arancio Atlas on a pumpkin base, with guanciale, spicy nduja, mozzarella, stracciatella, toasted pine nuts and fried sage.